Saturday, June 28, 2008

Do you ever feel like your creative life and your business life are just not in sync? Do you feel as though keeping up with the business side of creating gets in the way of just...CREATING! If this is the case for you, as it certainly is for me, try reading the following 32 page download. You'll be happy you did:

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

So you've seen this little guy before but now he's out and about trying to make a difference for the animals that were left homeless by the Iowa floods. Damage flood estimates as of June 16th have now reached ONE BILLION ($1,000,000,000) dollars. In a town of only 120,000 people, this is beyond catastrophic. There are several hundred dogs, even more cats, and other companion animals being housed in temporary evacuation shelters in Cedar Rapids. Many, many more animals are still stranded in the tens of thousands of abandoned homes. On top of everything, the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter has been completely destroyed.

This print, titled "A Groovy Kind of Love" is now up for auction to benefit the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter, where they are putting on this phenomenal auction, to be held June 25-July 2, with tons of items that you might find interesting and feel compelled to purchase. 100% of all sales will go to the Kirkwood Foundation's Friends of the Animal Shelter Fund. You can read all about "Groovy's" auction effort, stories from the floods, the benefits your help will provide and check out the auction catalog here:http://www.iowafloodreliefauction.com/donna-pellegata.html

Even if you don't see anything that sparks your interest to purchase (I doubt that will happen, I've seen the catalog), you can still help by donating to this cause. Do yourself this little favor and even better... do it for the animals. Look into Groovy's eyes...he's begging for your help...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Once a month "Etsy for Animals" (Artists Helping Animals) at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5241805 has a challenge for it's members to help raise money for charities helping unfortunate animals. This month's challenge is entitled "JUNE BUG" and was suggested by EFA leader mvegan5 (click on her name to see her shop!) who spends many hours of her day recruiting and working hard for the benefit of these charities and the animals they represent. So on behalf of her efforts, the effort of Etsy for Animals and to help these creatures I adore so much, here's my entry for the June challenge. I thank them for the opportunity to help.

FLOWER KITTEN...and you thought this little sweety was looking at you? Nope...She's in a field of daisies having a "spring moment"... watching the clouds, the JUNE BUGS and catching a warm sunny breeze with not a care in the world. Lucky her! ALL animals should be this lucky. With your help though, they can be a step closer...all you have to to do is purchase this print "Flower Kitten" which can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10405627 )...or another you prefer, from MY ETSY SHOP "Children's Book Illustrator, fArCiCaL fOLk aRt Creator, People and Pet Portrait Maker" at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5663698 and I will donate 10% of the sale price to the animal shelter mentioned in my listings. This particular schmoopie's donation will go to the "Last Chance Animal Rescue" located near my studio. You can visit their shelter's website by clicking on the link here: http://www.lastchancerescue.org/ but if you prefer a different print then you can click on any of my other listings offered and the charity your 10% will be donated to, will be in that listing. All of the items in my shop are created by me and are either pastels, mixed media or some form of creative expression (how vague is that) and each and every one purchased will result in a donation to either "Last Chance Animal Rescue" OR "Horses Haven" in Howell MI. Visit Horses Haven link here : http://www.horseshaven.org/index.htm So see? You too can help in the quest to make a better life for a deserving animal that never caused any harm to anyone and would just love the chance to watch the clouds and the JUNE BUGS while catching a warm sunny breeze on a spring day. Just like we humans get the chance to do...every now and then.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The illustrations have now left my hands, to be printed and bound and dispersed through the land! As soon as I get my twisted little fingers on it I will show it to you here. Just the cover mind you, you'll have to actually buy it and read it yourself (or to your children or pets) to see the final creation in full. But until the mean time you can read up on it here http://www.heartandharp.net/book.html. She will be announcing it before I do, since of course she wrote it! You will be able to purchase the book by clicking on Diane E. Dunn's website at that same address. I can't wait to see the finished product myself! Keep watching!!!

I've already started on my next book project, more on that as we move along!